shipping firearms

[FfNJGTFO]

Is there any difference in re: if it's going to a standard FFL, or if it's going directly to the MFGR for a maintenance/upgrade? I have a P320 that hasn't yet had that "required upgrade." Can I send it directly to SIG Sauer or should I do it through my FFL? Likewise, can they return it directly to me or must it go through my FFL again?

Call Sig CS and they will email you a label.

With Sig it is as easy as it gets and it will be returned directly to you, no FFL for your gun

And, so it has.... Well, it will be by this Monday. Upgrade complete. Actually, Fedex picked up the item at my house, no questions asked.

[zeebaron]

UPS - as a non-FFL, you have to take it to the UPS depot, which for me is an hour away near the airport. You cannot take it to the local UPS Store (their rules). They will give you the third degree once you tell them it is a firearm, and you will have to get a manager that really knows the rules. They will require you to ship it using the most expensive air priority service. Leave it not fully sealed as they will want to inspect (sometimes).

I had spent over a half-hour wrapping an Arsenal I had to send back to the factory to fix a canted front sight. Bubble wrap and a custom box. And I bring it to UPS and the bitchy lady is like "I'm going to have to look at it." So she undoes my packaging, and is complaining the whole time that WHY DID I PACK IT SO WELL.

Jesus.

[FfNJGTFO]

Update: My item arrived back from the factory this afternoon. Excellent condition. I think they actually installed a new lower and swapped out the serial # pad. The slide lock is now ambidextrious and has a little protective lip around the back of it. I guess that's to keep the slide from "engaging" and going into battery if it's dropped (and, potentially, AD'ing). It came back in it's original case with the standard Sig Sauer stickers, etc. but one other rather interesting item... a flyer from the ATF... about "Youth Handgun Safety."

Seriously, Sig Sauer..... Are we courting with the "enemy?????"

[Molivo]

Here is a breakdown of what I recall from when I used to do this fairly frequently years ago. Perhaps rules have changed now and I apologize if someone with more up-to-date info corrects me.

UPS - as a non-FFL, you have to take it to the UPS depot, which for me is an hour away near the airport. You cannot take it to the local UPS Store (their rules). They will give you the third degree once you tell them it is a firearm, and you will have to get a manager that really knows the rules. They will require you to ship it using the most expensive air priority service. Leave it not fully sealed as they will want to inspect (sometimes).

Fedex - not sure, but I think similar to UPS.

USPS is the most affordable method. But again, you will have to argue with the counter person as most do not know the rules. Sometimes the postmaster don't know! Long guns are ok for a non-FFL to ship but handguns can only be accepted from FFL.

What I have found is it is cheapest, easiest and best to just take it to a local FFL that will do a transfer for you at a reasonable cost. I used a local pawn shop extensively and built a relationship. Often he will break the rules of the individual carriers I have found. I pay him to insure it and if it does not get there he will have to deal with it, but I never had an issue with the guy I use.

All this BS is such a hassle and so expensive that it has to be an expensive collector firearm for me to ship it out of state. I usually charge a fixed $100 shipping on GB to cover the costs and aggravation. Anything that is not really a collectible, I try to sell face-to-face to avoid the shipping costs/hassles.

Just wait for the Kommieela to be in-charge. It will get much, much worse, if not impossible to ship anything.

What he said. Find a reasonable dealer and pay them to deal with the aggrivation. Not worth the headache to save 20$.

[N4KVE]

I find the opposite to be true. Joe Blow has a defective gun he wants to return to Sig. He comes to a gun store to “send it in”. They do, & after a week of hearing nothing, Joe calls Sig to ask about his gun. Sig replies “we never received any gun from you”. Joe then says “I had Bob’s guns send it in for me”, to which the guy at Sig says “do you work for Bob’s Guns, because if you don’t, I can’t tell you anything. Joe then calls Bob’s Guns to ask them to call Sig to ask about the gun, to which Bob’s Guns replies “I am so busy with the recent rush on guns, that I have 10 people standing in front of me with cash to buy guns, so I have no time to call Sig for you to ask about a gun you purchased on line. So I always advise people to send in their own guns so THEY can call the MFR to ask about it’s progress. GARY.

[Tenzing_Norgay]

It came back in it's original case with the standard Sig Sauer stickers, etc. but one other rather interesting item... a flyer from the ATF... about "Youth Handgun Safety."

I think you misread the flyer. It said "Hitler Youth Handgun Safety"...